The present invention relates to tailgate assemblies, and more specifically, to a vehicle tailgate limiter system.
Certain pickup trucks provide the comfort of a sport utility vehicle while still maintaining the functionality of a pickup. To allow for the roominess and sport utility-like feel, the box or bed length is shortened and this length is then added to the cab portion of the truck. However, this shorter bed length is problematic when larger loads need to be transported. To solve this problem, a bed extender was designed to extend the length of the bed. When the bed extender is used, the tailgate is deployed thus providing extra bed length, and the bed extender retains the load.
In utilizing such a bed extender, however, problems occur with the tailgate. Traditional vehicle tailgates are designed with a hinge mechanism used for opening and closing the tailgate when the vehicle is parked and when loading and unloading cargo is desired. Because vehicle tailgates are typically closed when the vehicle is in motion, only minimal lateral tailgate movement was anticipated. This lateral movement is compensated for and constrained by the pillars and catches at the topsides of the cargo bed. Therefore, typical hinge mechanisms support the tailgate in a vertical plane, as lateral movement doesn""t occur when the vehicle is stationary. However, because the tailgate is deployed while the bed extender is used and the vehicle is in motion, extreme lateral movement of the tailgate occurs, thus resulting in the destruction and loss of function of the tailgate.
It would therefore be beneficial to have a tailgate limiter system that constrains lateral movement of the tailgate when deployed and the vehicle is in motion, while still retaining the functionality of the tailgate itself.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle tailgate limiter system that overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art.
It is a feature of the present invention that the vehicle tailgate limiter system includes a fixed pin and a slotted bracket thereby allowing full functionality of the tailgate while constraining lateral movement of the tailgate when deployed.
The present invention advantageously provides a vehicle tailgate limiter system for a vehicle including a cargo bed, a tailgate pivotally attached to the cargo bed operable between a closed vertical position and a deployed horizontal position, a fixed pin having a head portion and a base portion, and a slotted bracket having a middle portion and end portions adapted to receive the pin when the tailgate is in the deployed position.